Help:Upload and add image to the page

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Revision as of 11:29, 1 November 2026 by Jacek Iwanicki (talk | contribs)

This page explains how to upload an image to SurveyWiki and how to place it on a page. In short:

  1. Upload the image on the Special:Upload page. Fill in the licence, author, source and AI disclosure.
  2. Check the image's description page (File:Filename.jpg).
  3. Insert the image into your page, for example with [[File:Filename.jpg|thumb|Caption]].

An image must be uploaded to the SurveyWiki database before it can be shown on a page.

Uploading an image

Only logged-in users can upload images to SurveyWiki.

Allowed image types are png, gif, jpg, jpeg and svg. The file size must be less than 2 MB.

After uploading, the image gets its own description page at File:Destination filename. The licence, author, source and other details are shown there.

Uploading the first version of an image

Open the Special:Upload page. You can find the link under Wiki tools → Upload file, or under Navigation → Special pages → Media reports and uploads → Upload file. Both Wiki tools and Navigation are in the upper left part of each page, but their exact position depends on the skin.

Fill in the form:

Field What to enter Required
Source file Choose the image file on your device. Yes
Destination filename The name the image will have on the wiki. Use a short, descriptive name and keep the correct extension, for example MBES-patch-test.jpg, not a camera default like IMG_1234.jpg. The name cannot be changed later without moving the file, so check it before uploading. Yes
Summary A short description of the image: what it shows and where it comes from. It becomes the text of the file's description page. Yes
Licensing Choose a licence from the list. See Licensing and AI. Yes
Title Title of the image. If you are not the author, use the original title. For third-party work
Author Author of the original image. For third-party work
Source Where the image comes from (link or publication), or "own work" if you are the author. Yes
Date Date the image was created or, for third-party work, the date you accessed it. Yes
AI disclosure Choose the option that describes how the image was made. See AI disclosure. Yes

Then click the upload button. If the wiki shows a warning (for example, that a file with this name already exists), read it before choosing to ignore it. Never overwrite another user's image with a different image. Choose a different destination filename instead.

Own work

If you are the author of the image (for example, a photo you took or a figure you drew), you choose the licence yourself from the list below. Enter "own work" as the source and your name as the author.

Before you choose, check that you are free to publish the image. Images made as part of a project for a client or employer may not be yours to license. If they contain confidential data, use the internal-use licence and place them only on restricted pages.

Third-party work

You can upload an image made by somebody else only if:

  • it is published under one of the licences on the list (for example, a Creative Commons image), or
  • it is in the public domain (choose CC0 1.0 - Public domain and say in the Source field why it is public domain), or
  • you have the rights holder's permission to publish it on SurveyWiki. Choose the licence that matches that permission.

Do not upload images copied from websites, search results, reports or presentations without a clear licence or permission.

Always give the full credit. Four details must be filled in for third-party work: Title, Author, Source and Licence. Most Creative Commons licences require this credit, and it also lets other users check where the image came from. If one of these details is missing, the image may be deleted.

Some licences have extra conditions. For example, with NoDerivatives do not edit the image (crop, retouch, annotate), and with ShareAlike your use must be under the same licence. Read the licence page before you upload.

Uploading a new version of an image

You can replace an image with an improved version, for example a higher resolution file, a corrected crop or a fixed colour balance. To do this:

  1. Open the image's description page (File:Filename.jpg), for example by clicking the image on a page.
  2. In the File history section, click Upload a new version of this file.
  3. Choose the new file, write in Summary what you changed, and click the upload button.

The new version keeps the same filename, so it replaces the old image on all pages where it is used. Older versions stay in the file history and can be restored from there.

Upload a new version only if it is the same image, with the same title, author and licence as the first version. If it is a different image, upload it as a new file under a different name.

To correct the details of an existing image (licence, author, source), edit its description page.

Licensing and AI

Every uploaded image must have a licence and an AI disclosure. Both are shown on the image's description page.

Licenses in SurveyWiki

SurveyWiki allows several licences when uploading images:

AI disclosure

Choose the option that describes how the image was made:

  • (option 1 - for example: not created with AI)
  • (option 2 - for example: created or edited with AI assistance)
  • (option 3 - for example: generated by AI)

If you are not sure, choose the option with more AI involvement.

Adding the image to a page

Once the image is uploaded, edit the page where you want it and add a link with the File: prefix: 

[[File:Filename.jpg|option|option|caption]]

The options can be given in any order. The caption, if any, goes last. Typical options:

Option Effect
thumb Thumbnail with a frame and a caption, floating to the right (the usual choice).
frameless Thumbnail without a frame or caption.
frame Full-size image in a frame, with a caption.
border Thin border around the image.
200px Width in pixels (use 200x100px to limit both width and height).
left, right, center, none Position of the image on the page.
alt=Text Alternative text for people who cannot see the image (screen readers). Describe what the image shows.
link= An empty value makes the image not clickable.

Examples

The examples use a test image.

Thumbnail with a caption 

[[File:Hydrangea macrophylla.jpeg|thumb|alt=Hydrangea macrophylla|A thumbnail with a caption]]

Result:

Hydrangea macrophylla
A thumbnail with a caption

Fixed width, centred 

[[File:Hydrangea macrophylla.jpeg|thumb|center|150px|A centred image, 150 pixels wide]]

Result:

A centred image, 150 pixels wide

Left-aligned, text wraps around it 

[[File:Hydrangea macrophylla.jpeg|thumb|left|150px|Left-aligned image]]
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

Result:

Left-aligned image

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

Several images in a row 

<gallery>
File:Hydrangea macrophylla.jpeg|First image
File:Hydrangea macrophylla.jpeg|Second image
</gallery>

Result:

  • First image
    First image
  • Second image
    Second image
You type You get
[[:File:Hydrangea macrophylla.jpeg]] A text link to the image's description page (note the colon at the start).
[[Media:Hydrangea macrophylla.jpeg]] A text link directly to the image file.

Troubleshooting

Problem Solution
There is no Upload file link You are not logged in. Log in first.
"The file is too big" Reduce the image size or resolution to below 2 MB.
"This file type is not allowed" Convert the image to png, jpg, gif or svg.
"A file with this name already exists" Choose another destination filename, unless you are uploading a new version of the same image.
The image shows as a red link The filename in the page does not match the uploaded file. Check spelling and capitalisation.
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